Machine for treating articles in bulk



July 14, 1942. .1.l v. DAVIS MACHINE FOR TREATING AIRTIGLES IN -BULK Filed NOV. 14, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @fr0/www.

lJuly 14, `1942. J. v. DAVIS MACHINE Fon TREATINGARTICLES in BULK Filed, Nov. 14, ,1940 2 sheets-sheet 2 fro/swim Parental J'ly 14,"1942 UNITED STATE MACHINE non s Pari-:Nr oFFlcE 101m vasen 'pumpen-0u, man., mlm: u

i The Udylite Corporation,

poration oi Delaware Application November 14, 1940, serai No. 365,625

This invention relates to a machine ing articles inI bulk, particularly small parts in bulk while subjecting the parts to treatments such as electrochemical cleaning, water rinsing, liquid vchemical dips, electrop1ating,drying, chemical oxidation, phosphatizing, heat treating, etc.

Detroit, Mich., a cors cam (c1. iii-'1) for treatmade'i'rom channel irons which is pivotally supported as at! upon the stationary frame 3. The tanks for the liquid, gaseous, or other media in which thearticles a're to be treated are referenced I. c

The rotatable barrels are referenced 5. The

' support for each bar rel 5 comprises a pair of ning between the barrels in the opposed rows transfer the articles from the barrels in one row to theA barrels in the opposite row and in lthis alternatingtransfer of the articles move. them lengthwise of `the rows. To effectively treat the articles while in the vrotating barreL'th'e articles'- shouldbe tumbled.

rt is an object of this invention te producel a barrel which will efilcientlytumble'the articles;

This object is. achieved by constructing the barrel so that the articles cannot carry around with any surface, of the rotating barrel and will always" fall to the lower sideof the barrel without making a complete revolution.

It is an object of this invention to produce a barrel which will cooperate withl a chute to barrel into a chute as the barrel is raised so that lthe :articles will be transferred by the chute either into the opposed barrel or suitable container. This object is achieved by designing the barrel so that the articles will not be discharged from the barrel towards orinto the chute-until the chute has attained a sufficient inclination to in'- sure that the articles will slide by gravitydown the Vchute to transfer the same. In thev drawings:

- with -a sprocket I4 adjacent the .open end of the effectively dischargeall of the articlesfromthe brackets t which are secured tothe frame member'l by bolts 1. A bearing member 8 is carried by a V bracket 0 secured to the bracket 6 by the bolts I0. EachI barrel I is xed to av spider Y il which is iixed to a within bearing 8.

The insulated electrical conductor I3 extends through the hollow shaft` i2. When the articles hollow shaft I2 jollrnaled are to'be electroplated.'v then the conductor I3 will take the form of a cathode and the metal to be plated will be supplied from the plating soinu 4tion in tank '4. As the metal is plated out of the solution, it can be replenished by the use of suitable soluble anodes of the metal to be plated.

By referring to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be noted 'that this rotatable mounting of the barrel upn the frame I.leaves the open end 24 of the barrel 5' clear and unobstructedfor the feeding of the articles, into and discharging the same from' the barrel.

The barrel 5 is arranged to be bearing support l by any suitabledriving arrangement. As shown, the barrel 5 is provided barrell and perpendicular to the bearing 8. The sprocket I4 `meshes with a driving chain which in turn is driven by an electric driving 4motor and driving sprockets.

Barrel 5 preferablyis foraminated and 'can be made from any suitable material. 'Ihe choice of the material will depend, of course, upon the nature of the liquid or gaseous article treating medium to which the barrel is subjected.

Barrel 5. is designed to accomplish, among Y others, two .pui-poses, namely, to efficiently tum`- Fig. 1 is anend elevation andpartly asection through the 'machine showing two opposed barrels one of which is` lowered into the' tank containing the ysolution for treating the articles.

Fig. v2 is an enlarged verticalsection through the' barrel. j r f Fig.` 3 is a section along the lined-,3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section along the lline il-l'of Fig, 3. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic. view illustrating severalpositions 'o f the barrel as it travels from fully lowered to fully raised position.

The machine comprises va rectangular frame i 55 Y ble the articles being treated and to discharge the articles fromlthe ybarrel without jamming. To accomplishv these purposes the .barrel is fabricatedwith an end wall that ilares outwardly from a point on the axis of rotation toward the opposite or open endhof thebarreh "The amount ont nare should besuch that the end wall will lalways have some radial portion making an angle with the horizontal greater thanthe angle of repose of the articles being tumbled, that is,

the'angle with the horizontal should .be such that the articles will not remain piled but will roll toward. the lower sideiof. the barrel. The

rotated about the open ofthe barrel. 32has the form of a pyramidal frustum.- Section. .can be a cylinder, a pyramidal i'rustum, or a sphericalor ..wheroidal segment flaring either inwardly oroutwardlyfrom the axis of' Vendw'all can'takelthe form of a pyramid, a

spherical or spheroidal cap, that is, the portion of the'sphere or spheroid cut off by a plane running through the-sphere or spheroid. VAs shown,

4 wenn is a pyramid inform'. Another poition 3i-l of the barrel should tener or--converge inwardiytoward the axis' of rotationand ltoward the open end vof the barrel. The vamoun'tof ilare -.should'be such that.the-bottor'n-of this section always makes an angle '-with the vertical, when vthe barrel is'lowered, less ,than the anale of repose. This portion can take the form of'a'frustumof a pyramid or Va spheroidal or spherical.

segment, that is, the portion'ofav sphere or spheroidbetween two planes'intersecting lthe sphere." As shown, this portion is in the form of apyramid frustum-3I. The barrel can be side of sections'32 and'3l, upon rotating 180,

-ward the bottomof section 32. However, i

becomes the topside of the'barrel and is turned completely. over so that the articles are bound to fallback toward the lower side f. the-barrel. The Werk rens '0n the 'lower side .of section 33 between points, C and'G might very well remain stationaryand -not'slide downwardly to'- givenjarea between points lC and'Galong lthe 180 this portion now becomes substantially-verl tical and in any event the inclination 'of portion 33 along line BC is sumcient so thattthe angle'4 ACB is more than the 'angleof andconf sequently the articles will'roll or tumble down-f."

fabricated from onlv two sections 33 and3l but i this appreciably decreases the. 'size of the .load which the barrel can eiiiciently handle .and thus -l is not desirable. l However, preferably the barrel is provided witha section 32 intermediate sections 3| and 33 and a section 30 forming a feed andl 'dischargel mouth for the l barrel. Where the .barrel is fabricated with an intermediate section (suchas 32) in'theformof a pyramidal frustum, or'aiheroidal segment, vthe load carrying capacity for such a barrel is approximately twice that of a barrel havingy the saine diameter but without an intermediate portion such' as* 32. l

These sections are all joined together. The-Joiningmay be permanent, such' as by welding, rivating, orthe 1ike. The various pyramids and pyramidalifrustums may-be joined by means of .removable fastenings such as'bolts, clamping fringsor thelliketo permiteasy cleaning or replacement ofparts. Section 3l can vtake the form of oneV or. several pyramidal frustums' or bottom1 section 33. upon rotation ofthe barrel, changes its angularity so that upon rotation of wardly towardthe bottom ofthe barrel.

nach .barrel may be provided with schuw u' which is ilxed to. and supported by.' bracket 0. so

and 33. vAs thebarrel tis tilted upwardly, 4the load tends `to move. toward' the mouthfll of jthebarrel. -If. the load were permitted tomove to.

` w'ardthe mouth of the barrel before the cliute Il' reached horizontal pomtion orA was inclined.

.downwardlytoward the right.' asviewed in-Fig. 5, the load would -,iam at the mouth u ofthe barrel simeric'alor. 'spheroidal -segments arranged to nare outwardly from-the axis of rotation toward rotation toward thefopen end of 'the'ba'rreL -As shown, section 3i takes` the form of-a cylinder..

The texm="pyramid". is broad1y herein fto -include aj-cone and -a spherOidaI-cap. "The frusti'xm-pyramidal portions 3| and 3! are posi.

tioned` base to'fbase and together form abi- 40 As shown, section angle ACB,- shwnin. Fig. 2, should be greater w f for treating `the articles. Theangle EFD, shown than the angieof repose for the articles to bev The AB is perpendicular to the horizontal' from point. B on the barrel 5 when the barrelv is'lowered into thetankin position in'Fig. 2., :should beless than the angle of repose for'the articles Atofbe treated.. The line'llil?I is perpendicular tothe horizontal when lthe barrel is loweredlnto-'the tank inposition for treating -thearticlea' V' 'f The articles tobe treated when the barrelis stationary-.will rest primarilyon the lower side of-portion-3-2-a'nd also o nthe lower side of portions '3l and 33.1- As the vbarrel rotates; the articles tendto rotate with the barrel. It; f' 'iis evident,- however, that those-parts' whichare on the lower side of 'portions 3l and-'32 icannotfA f rotate v180? Withny part of the barrely because before they reach thetopside of the barrel they would have long since passedV beyond the angle .of repose andv rolled back 'down to 'the .lower and in the depressionformed by the bottom side of cylindrical portion 30 `and the bottom of the trough 43- in 4theareadesignated Ii. As the load built up inarea Il itwould also tend'to Jam against brackets 3. To avoid this diillculty the .bottom side ofbarrelportion 3| -is arranged so thatangle EFD the angle'oi' repose. Consequently as the Vbarrel is raised from lowered position," bottom portion 3il vprevents the articles from sliding or tumbling out into cylindrical por- Y tion 3l and chute until the chute Ig'et's beyond horizontal position. At orl shortly lllffifer bottom portion `3| reacheshoriz'ontalposition 'f x begins to 'slide'by gravity v through the mouthof fthe .barrel and down the chute C13-.which .isnow' inclined downwardly toward the" rlght, aslviewed '.Iclaim: 1.-In ii.A machine for.treating'articlesin'bulk.`

al rotatable In open end adaptedto receive the articles to be treatedfra,- discharge v chute adjacent the open endloiy thebarrel'for j receiving-.the articles discharged vfrom-thebarrel as it is tilted upwardly, a tiltable-suppor't for said4 barrel and chute, Vsaid barrel comprising an openv cylindrical endnortion and `a; portion' adiaeent f thereto in the formof 'a'fnistum of a pyramid ila'ringoutwardly from` the cylindricalportion, y thebottom of said frustumbeingappronximately Vparallel to the bottom of said chute .whereby the articles are retained Yin the liarxlas-y it is.- raised until the chute reaches approximately horizontal positionfin theupwardtilting ofthe barrel and chute whereupon tiiavel'but. ofthe Abarrel and downthe chiite. L

a; In a machine for treating articles in buik, a

` rotatable barrel adapted ,to-.receivethe'articles to be treated comprisingjaportion" intheform vof two pyramidal fnistums positioned base to base,

. `means-forsupporting:"said barrel to .rotate-app proximatelyjabout the of symlii'etryA of saidv V frustums, said axis beingjinclined` downwardly. -side o f. the barrel. ,Inxrother lwords-the lowerf'when thebarrelis llowere'cl'in article -treating aandoen position, a discharge chute adjacent the open end of the barrel with the. bottom of the chute in-V clined at an angle of-less than 180 to the axis of rotation of. said barrel, said barrel having its end remote from the chute closed, a tiltable support for said barrel and chute whereby when the barrel and chute are tilted upwardly to ,discharge the work the inclination of the irustum pyramidal portion of the barrel retains the.ar

' ticles in the barrel remote from the junction of the barrel and chute until the chute in the uil.-V

ward tilting-of the barrel and chute approximately reaches the position wherein the articles can slide by gravity down the chute without Jamming at the :limction oi thel chute and open end of the barrel.

3. .In a machine Ifor treating` articles in bulk, a foraminated rotatable barrel having one end closed and the other end open.v a discharge chute adjacent the open end of the barrel'and intersecting the axis of rotation of the barrel for rebarrel, a tiltable support for said barrel whereby the barrel can be tilted to raise the closed end oi ceiving the articles discharged from the barrel as it Vis tilted upwardly, a tiltable support for said barrel and chute, said barrel comprising a closed symmetrical end portion iiaring outwardly from the axis oi' rotation and toward the open end of l the barrel at an angle such that when the barrel is in article treating position the end portion will l always have a radially extending area having an angle with the horizontal greater than the angle of repose whereby during the rotation of the barrel the articl in this area-will roll toward the bottom of the barrel, said barrel also having another symmetrical portion joined to the abovev4 portion and tapering `inward1y"towa.rd the .open end oi the barrel so that the area along the bottom oi. said portion when the barrel is lowered in l worktreating position forms an angle with the vertical less than the angle of repose whereby when the barrel is'tilted upwardly to empty the barrelthe articles will remain on the bottom o! slide by gravity downthe chute without'jamming at the Junction oi the chute and the open end oi the barrel. y

4. In a machine for treating articles in bulk, a rotatable barrel adapted to receive md articles to be treated comprising a portion inthe form of two pyramidalirustums positioned base to base, a cylindrical Vportion connected to one of said frustums and forming the open end of the barrel.

a pyramidal -portion connected to the other pyramidal irustum forming the closed end of the the barrel ,above the open end todischarge said articles, said tiltable support having a portion extending into the open end of the barrel, and bearing means housed within the vsaid barrel serving as the sole means for rotatably mounting the said barrel vpn thesaid portion of 'the tiltable support whereby the said barrel is rotatable about an' axis whichis the axis of symmetry for said barrel.

5. Inv a machine for treating articles in bulk, a rotatable bitrrel a.dar:ted to receive said articles to be treated comprising a portion in the form of tw'o pyramidal irustums positioned base to base, a cylindrical portion connected to one of said frustums andforming the open end of the barrel,

a 'pyramidal portion ,connected to the other pyramidalfrustum forming the closed end of the barrel, a tiltable support for said barrel whereby fiheberrei can be tilted to raise the closed end of the barrel above, the o pen end to `discharge said said latter portion until the chute approximately reaches the position wherein the articles can JOHN man Davis 

